Chapter 13

The next day Jessica showed up at the Sheriff's office. She had brought with her a basket of freshly baked blueberries.

"Much obliged, Mrs. F," Mort said as he accepted the basket, "I'll be sure to pass it around and share it with everyone here."

"You're welcome," she said, as she looked around, "Where's Andy?"

"He's answering a call," Mort said, "Darby Curtis had a scuffle with his neighbor yesterday and the guy pushed Darby down. So Andy left to Darby's house to talk with him."

Jessica looked confused, "Andy just went to interview Darby now? Why not yesterday, when it happened?"

"That's because it was only last night that Darby removed his toupee," Mort explained, "and when he did, that's when he discovered the huge bump on the back of his head, so now he wants to file charges!"

"Oh myyy, poor Darby," Jessica snickered while shaking her head.

"You can't make these things up!" Mort claimed. Then he added, "but I know you didn't come here to trade Cabot Cove small town stories, so what's up?"

"Actually, I am here to trade small town stories," she said, "but of a different nature. I thought you might inform me about the second case that involved Seth and Bert Bradley."

Before Mort could answer, the door opened and Seth came in.

"Seth!" Jessica rushed over to give him a peck on the cheek, "I thought you were booked with appointments all morning!"

"I thought so, too, until I found out the reason was because all my patients wanted to know where I was goin' on my first date with this beautiful lady of mine!" he peered over at Jessica who lightly blushed.

"Speaking of which, when's this big date going down?" Mort asked, "Andy has been really bugging me for details, too!"

"Hmmph! You two are worse than the gossip-mongers down at Loretta's!" Seth complained, "but if you must know, I plan on takin' Jess to dinner and the movies Saturday night. Okay? So can we now go on to some really important matters now?"

But then he caught a glimpse of the basket on Mort's desk that Jessica had brought in.

"Aaand what do we have here?" Seth's eyes lit up at the basket of muffins, "Do my eyes deceive me, or are those blueberry muffins I see?"

Jessica and Mort exchanged glances. So much for important matters!

Mort held the basket possessively away from Seth, "They're for my investigative staff!"

"And you, Jess and me are workin' a case together," reasoned Seth testily, "so what does that make me a part of? Your coat-rack?"

"Don't worry you two," chuckled Jessica, as Mort reluctantly put the basket back on the desk, "there's plenty to go around for everyone!"

"Well, consider me everyone!" Seth responded, as he reached out and took a blueberry from the basket while Mort went to pour everyone some fresh coffee. He brought back two piping hot coffee mugs as Seth and Jessica sat opposite him.

"Do you think we might find a motive with the second case Seth and Bert Bradley worked on together?" Jessica asked.

Mort held up a folder, "I just so happen have the file right here," he stated:

Case #2

Dr. Seth Hazlitt of Cabot Cove was a witness to a robbery while visiting his friend, Police Captain Bert Bradley at his residence. According to his account, he had been visiting for approximately an hour when he saw from the large living room window, a blue Mustang pull up to the home of Jack Reynolds, the next door neighbor of Captain Bradley. He watched as two youths in their early 20's exited the car and looked about cautiously before entering the house.

Jack Reynolds was on vacation for a month.

Dr. Hazlitt reported seeing the boys suspiciously removing at TV from the premise and immediately informed the Captain who went to question the boys. Although they were the nephews of Mr. Reynolds, Police Captain Bradley arrested them after eventually discovering that Greg and Garrett Reynolds not only stole the TV from the Reynolds' residence, the police also recovered stolen money and jewels in the pockets of the youths, estimated to be worth approximately $15,000.

"I remembered those kids," Seth recalled, "they were snobbish, mean and entitled!"

"Preach it to the choir, Doc," Mort said, "I read alllll about that in the file this morning. The boys were belligerent during the trial and were eventually sentenced to five years in prison. They were released last month."

"Five years?" Jessica said, "that's a pretty harsh sentence for a first offense."

"Not if you pull a weapon on law officers," Mort said, "when Bert went to investigate the neighbor's house, the boys had slipped out the back way. But Seth saw their escape and immediately notified the police. Two squad cars arrived, and that's when the two brothers pulled out unregistered guns on the officers. But surprisingly, Seth was able to talk them into surrendering."

"And even though the uncle didn't press charges," Seth continued, "the Police Captain did and along with my testimony, the boys were sentenced with a guilty verdict."

"Thus the possible motive of wanting to get back at Seth and the Police Captain," Mort theorized.

"Dear me," Jessica opinioned, "I could see why they would be upset about getting caught. To them, it would have been such an easy robbery. They would know the schedule and would know where to get the key to the house."

"The Bar Harbor Police Department had suspected these two boys of several other robberies around the neighborhood, too," Mort told them, "but they never had proof. Until this robbery. They eventually found other stolen properties at their premises."

"After their release, where did they go?" Jessica asked.

"Their place of residence, which is the basement of their rich parent's home," Mort told her, "no big surprise there. They have no job, no education and no future, but the parents continue to finance everything for them."

"Thus my use of the word 'entitled' to describe them!" Seth complained.

"Maybe it would be good if we could go have a talk with them," Jessica suggested.

"I wouldn't mind seein' them again," Seth said, "I would LOVE to give them a piece of my mind!"

"No, Doc, I wouldn't advise you coming with us," Mort said, "you'll probably just make them even angrier."

"It's not as if they were happy-go-lucky to begin with, anyway!" Seth pointed out, "I'm goin' whether you like it or not!"

"I don't think you can talk him out of it, Mort," Jessica said.

Mort sighed., "You're probably right about that, Mrs. F," he put on his hat, "Okay. Let's go, then."

Mort opened the front door and Jessica and Seth to leave first.. And just as Mort began to shut the door, he heard someone yelling at them from down the street.

"Sheriff Metzger! Jessica! Uncle Seth!"

They all turned and saw Detective Logan McIntosh rushing towards them.

Jessica raised her hand to wave a friendly greeting at him when suddenly-

BANG!

A shot ran out.

It went wide, ricocheting off the wall of the sheriff's office as everyone instinctively ducked. It seemed to be coming from up on top of the roof from the building across the street. From the sidewalk, Logan began running and pulling out his weapon at the same time.

Mort also had his weapon out as he shielded Seth and Jessica.

Next he ordered them, "Get back inside the office! NOW!"

Everything was happening so fast. Seth covered Jessica as he quickly opened the door. Another shot rang out. As Jessica was being shoved inside, she heard Seth let out a moan.

"Seth!" she screamed, but she couldn't be heard as she heard return fire from Mort's side. More shots fired, and some of them seemed to be coming from the direction ofwhere she had last seen Logan. However, she couldn't tell who was firing what or from where. She turned when she heard Seth's agonized groan.

"SETH!" She tried to grab him

But he fell to the floor, and all Jessica remembered was seeing a lot of blood.

And she knew he had been shot.

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